India’s batter Ravichandran Ashwin celebrates his century during the first day of the first Test cricket match between India and Bangladesh, at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (PTI Photo)
How R Ashwin, who went to USA to study batting dynamics between baseball and cricket, counterattacked his way in Chennai Test against Bangladesh
On the eve of the Test, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir was asked whether he has plans to develop a seam-bowling all-rounder. In his true characteristic style, he would make a clear cut comment. “If we don’t have it, we don’t have it. We still have quality all-rounders, we have to manage Ashwin, Jadeja, Axar,” he would say. And on his first day at office of the Test side, it was India’s two priceless all-rounders – R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja – who dug them out of a hole at 144/6 and end Day 1 at 339 for six.
Half way into the opening day of the Test after Bangladesh won the toss opted to bowl, the total seemed out of India’s reach. With the MA Chidambaram Stadium surface offering movement and good bounce, Bangladesh seamers made the most out of it with India’s batting line-up also making their job easy with some loose shots.
But in home conditions, especially in the last decade it is the contribution from the lower-order batsmen that involves the spin-bowling all-rounders that has made them invincible. And on Thursday, it was the two familiar faces – localite Ashwin and Chennai Super Kings’ Jadeja – who once again came to India’s rescue, like they have done repeatedly in the past. (READ MORE)
